Broadcasting
NCC Slams COSON Over Approval to Operate as a CMO
Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has criticized a recent news reports contesting the statement made by Mr. Matthew. Ojo, Director and Head of the Commission’s Lagos Office, on its behalf concerning the approved Collective Management Organisation (CMO) in the music sector.
The statement reads: “For the avoidance of doubt, the only CMO with approval to operate as a CMO in music and sound recordings in Nigeria in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act (Cap C28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) is the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN).
“The approval earlier granted to the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) lapsed with effect from 19th May 2019 and it has not been renewed. This position was upheld by the Federal High Court, Lagos, in Suit No. FHC/l/CS/425/2020 when the court ruled on 1st December 2021 that COSON was not entitled to the relief of an injunction to restrain the Commission from revoking its operating licence because the licence that it sought to preserve had lapsed.
“Although in line with the provisions of the Copyright Act and the Copyright (Collective Management Organisations) Regulations, 2007, COSON applied in 2019 for the renewal of its licence, it refused to comply with the terms stipulated by the Commission as the regulatory agency, including submission to an independent forensic audit of its accounts.
“It is an offence under sections 39(4) and (5) of the Copyright Act for any group of persons (including a corporate body) to purport to perform the duties of a CMO (also “Collecting Society”) without the approval of the Nigerian Copyright Commission. It follows therefore that COSON cannot lawfully perform the functions of a collecting society including negotiating, granting licences, collecting and distributing royalties.
“The Commission is at this point not concerned with other issues bordering on internal governance or the corporate identity of COSON but it is aware of the order of the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/274/2010 restraining COSON from using or continuing to use the name “Copyright Society of Nigeria Ltd/Gte”, and that its appeal for a stay of execution of that judgment was denied by the same court on 24th June 2020.
“However, this serves as notice to owners, users, corporate bodies and the public on the status of COSON and that certain principal officials of the company (by whatever name called) are being investigated for criminal infractions under the Copyright Act.
“Therefore, anyone dealing with them as a CMO would be doing so at their own risk. Anyone that receives a demand for royalties from COSON or has any other information that may help the ongoing criminal investigation should please report to the nearest office of the Nigerian Copyright Commission for further action.
“The Commission is using this opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to reforming the copyright system and ensuring that creators and owners of copyright benefit from their intellectual investment in the creative sector and that those entrusted with the administration of their rights are held accountable to acceptable standards of accountability and good governance”.
Mrs. Clementine Wamba, head, Digital Switch Over (DSO) at the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has stressed the need for broadcasting stations and practitioners nationwide to work towards meeting the 2028 global deadline for the switch over.
She made the call in her presentation titled, “DSO Big Picture: Free TV Audience Measurement and the Evolving Media Landscape”, at the 2026 NBC South West Summit held in Ibadan.
Wamba harped on the need for practitioners to adopt DSO in the transmission of news and other programmes in order to meet future challenges, stating that any country that fail to align with the DSO by 2028 will be shut out of practice.
This development, according to her, may result in job losses and other consequences that could hinder the growth of the industry in Nigeria, noting that Free TV is tailored towards the DSO, with provision for many channels in contrast to the age-long analogue system.
According to her, “The Digital Switch Over is a technological improvement on the age-long analogue style of broadcasting in the country. With the adoption of the DSO, practitioners will be in tune with global practice of broadcast journalism.
“Also, its benefits include efficient use of spectrum, changing of industry landscape, more access to national development programmes and better viewing experience.”
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that Nigerians will no longer pay annual Digital Access Fees under the renewed Digital Switch Over (DSO) project.
Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja,
Ebuebu said viewers only need to purchase an approved decoder and satellite dish which cost below N20,000 to enjoy free television permanently.
“Previously, users paid an annual digital access fee of about N1,500, described as an administrative charge.
“The new system removes that annual fee. It provides free access to free-to-air television channels without any payment.
“Premium channels will be introduced later. Viewers who want those additional channels will be able to access them through paid services.
“Nigerian content on free-to-air channels remains free to watch. Unlike Pay TV, this platform does not require monthly subscriptions for its basic service,” he said
Ebuebu said approved decoders for the FreeTV will cost less than N20,000 and authorised sales outlets will soon be announced.
He urged Nigerians to wait for official information on approved dealers for the DSO decoders, warning that unauthorised sellers are exploiting growing public demand.
He reiterated that people only need a free-to-air decoder, along with a satellite dish instead of the old antenna system to receive the DSO signal.
“Once the equipment is installed, viewers can access all available channels across the country without paying any subscription fees,” he stressed
The DG dismissed claims by some retailers that there are different categories of decoders sold at varying prices, stressing that such sellers are not authorised by the commission.
According to him, the NBC will soon publish the list of approved dealers, official prices, and locations where genuine decoder boxes and accessories can be purchased.
The NBC boss said the DSO project is designed not only to improve television broadcasting but also to stimulate economic growth by creating jobs, attracting investment, and opening up opportunities for businesses that support the broadcasting industry.
Ebuebu noted that content producers and broadcasters stand to benefit significantly from the nationwide reach of the DSO platform.
Unlike the previous system, where many stations had limited regional audiences, he said the new platform will make their channels available to viewers across Nigeria.
He added that the introduction of audience measurement technology will provide scientific and reliable data on television viewership.
Ebuebu added that audience measurement technology will give advertisers greater confidence in placing adverts and enable broadcasters to demonstrate the true size and reach of their audiences nationwide.
Uchenna Mbunabo, Nigerian filmmaker, has raised concerns over the alleged unauthorised broadcast of Nollywood films by some Ghanaian television stations, calling on Ghana’s National Film Authority (NFA) to strengthen the enforcement of copyright laws.
Uchenna Mbunabo, Nigerian filmmaker
Mbunabo made the remarks during a conversation with James Gardiner, deputy CEO of the National Film Authority (NFA) of Ghana.
He questioned whether it was permissible for television stations in Ghana to download Nigerian movies from YouTube and air them without obtaining permission from the producers.
“I noticed that Ghanaian TV stations, the way they are stealing our films and showing them for free with impunity. Is it legalised in your country for TV stations to go on YouTube, download people’s sweat and show it for free?”
According to Mbunabo, some Ghanaian television stations have been downloading newly released Nollywood films from YouTube and broadcasting them without authorisation, depriving producers of revenue generated through the platform.
He also stated that he had not witnessed Nigerian television stations engaging in similar practices and questioned what measures Ghana was taking to protect filmmakers’ intellectual property.
Responding to the concerns, Gardiner acknowledged that the issue exists and said the National Film Authority had begun engaging relevant stakeholders to address it.
He disclosed that the NFA has held discussions with the Ministry of Communications, the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the National Media Commission (NMC) on improving copyright enforcement.
Gardiner explained that while Ghana has copyright laws, enforcement remains challenging because many television stations now operate digitally and may not have physical offices within the country.
“There are copyright laws, but they are not effective because a lot of the TV stations don’t have offices. Most of them are now digital, so they operate from anywhere. They can even have a Ghanaian TV station but be operating from Austria simply because it is digital.”
He added that authorities are considering a new licensing framework that would require broadcasters to undergo a fresh licensing process to improve monitoring and enforcement.
According to Gardiner, television stations found guilty of illegally broadcasting copyrighted content would be required to compensate affected producers through fines.
He added that repeat offenders could face suspension of their broadcasting licences, while a third violation could result in the revocation of their licences.
Although he did not provide a specific timeline, Gardiner said the reforms were already underway and expressed hope that significant progress would be seen next year.
Mbunabo welcomed the proposed measures but urged the National Film Authority to expedite the process, stating that unauthorised broadcasts continue to affect filmmakers’ ability to recover production costs through legitimate distribution channels such as YouTube.
He also stressed that his comments were not directed at Ghana’s film industry, noting that he has worked with several Ghanaian actors over the years and supports collaborations between Nollywood and Ghallywood.
Dangote Refinery’s Private Placement Reportedly Hits $2.5Bn
FG, UNODC Plan National Strategy against Organized Crime
EFCC Busts NIS Visa Overstay Racket, Uncovers N700m in an Account
CBN to Monitor Every Dollar with FXBT, Forex Tracker
NCC, NDLEA Partner to Fight Piracy and Drug Trafficking
NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira
NASENI Moves to Digitize CCB’s 5m Assets Declaration and Operations
Lebara Nigeria Launches Lebara Play, Africa’s First Telecom-Owned Micro-Drama Platform
CANAL+ Partners Samsung to Pre-Load DStv Stream on New Samsung TVs In Nigeria, Other African Countries
Tokenization, Blockchain Technology will Transform Financial Institutions – IMF
News1 day agoEFCC Busts NIS Visa Overstay Racket, Uncovers N700m in an Account
News2 days agoFAAN to Replace Physical ID Check with V-Pass Biometric Verification
Telecom2 days agoAirtel Delivers Free Employability Training to Young Nigerians @ World Youth Skills Day
General News2 days agoNigeria Facing Rising Cybercrime Losses – Report
Telecom2 days agontel Plays Down Calls and Data Services, Moves to BET Agenda
General News2 days agoTotalEnergies Inaugurates Africa’s Largest Hybrid Renewable Project
News2 days agoCAC Begins Removing 100,000 Companies from Register Over Regulatory Non-Compliance
News2 days agoCBN Introduces Digital Tracker to Monitor BDC Forex Transactions